Do Rechargeable Hearing Aid Batteries Actually Work?

Rechargeable hearing aids are designed so that you’ll have to worry less about running low on batteries, but the technology might also make you slightly concerned when you rely on your devices to hear. Do rechargeable hearing aids work, and do they work as well as marketed?

The anxiety is reasonable and so are the question you might have. A hearing aid is often as necessary for the enjoyment of a television show or a movie as it is for a trip to the grocery store or any other part of day to day life. When a piece of technology impacts so many areas of your life, it’s crucial that it work properly and reliably.

How Do I Know What Kind of Battery I Have?

By default, most modern hearing aids come with rechargeable batteries, so if you purchased your hearing aids recently it’s likely that your hearing aids will have one of two battery types. Silver-zinc batteries, which have a battery door on the back, are rechargeable, but every so often they need to be replaced. A Lithium-ion battery, however, will not have a battery door because the batteries will last as long as the hearing aid does.

How to Care For Your Rechargeable Hearing Aid

For the most part, rechargeable hearing aids do work, and they work well. As battery technology has improved in the last several years, the dependability of these devices has increased significantly. In order to improve dependability, however, there are some maintenance steps users can take as they would with any other electronic technology.

Keep Your Hearing Aids Dry and Clean: No matter how often you use or do not use your hearing aids, they have abundant occasion to collect dust, debris, and moisture. Your hearing aid might not fully charge if it is subjected to any of these three elements. That’s why it’s important to keep your hearing aids dry and clean particularly when connecting your hearing aid to its charging station.

Be Mindful of Wires: Either the charging station or the hearing aid itself will contain some type of wire element on most hearing aids. Most hearing aid users are advised to be aware of these wires; do not pull or hold your device by these wires as this can damage the connections that allow your hearing aid to charge.

The Charging Station is Where Your Hearing Aids Should be Stored: If you consistently store your rechargeable hearing aids on their recharging station you can extend the life of your battery. The long term battery life is not shortened by charging a battery that is not fully drained.Actually, you can actually increase the battery life by making sure your hearing aids are charging when not in use. For lots of people, setting their charging station next to their bed is a simple reminder to charge the devices when it’s not in use.

How to Change a Rechargeable Battery

Lithium-ion batteries will normally last the as long as your device does. So changing those batteries shouldn’t be something you ever have to be concerned about. Your hearing aids can then be simply charged as long as necessary.

However, you will want to periodically replace the batteries if you have a hearing aid that utilizes silver-zinc batteries. Switching batteries in the right way can help increase the longevity of your hearing aids. As a result, the majority of people who use these hearing aids are counseled to:

Clean and free of moisture is the state that your battery compartment should be kept in.

Let the batteries sit out at room temperature for at least five minutes before removing any tabs that may be attached.

Store batteries in a room temperature spot that is also sure to be dry.

Until you’re ready to use the batteries, don’t remove the plastic tabs or packaging.

Non-Use For Long Periods

Leaving your hearing aids on the charger for long periods of time is no longer the way to store your hearing aids. If, for instance, you know that you will not be wearing your hearing aids for a few weeks or months, you can just disconnect the charger and put your hearing aids in a cool and dry place.

If your hearing aids utilize silver-zinc batteries, you might also consider leaving the battery door open in order to prevent moisture from corroding your batteries.

Keep it Charged Every Day

All your general requirements should be satisfied if you charge your hearing aids once a day. A lithium-ion battery, for example, will typically require only 3-4 hours to charge enough battery power for a 24 hour period.

Do rechargeable hearing aids work? Not only do they work, but rechargeable hearing aids will probably become more and more common and dependable as the technology continues to improve. To see all the different models, get in touch with your local hearing aid retailer.